Centering device for car-couplings.



R. E. POWERS.

'URNTEEING DEVICE FOR GAR COUPLINGS.

APPLICATION FILED 00129, 1908.

1, 1 1 6,625 7 Patented N0v.10, 1914.

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To all when? may, concern:

lie it known that l, ROBERT lit i mess, of the city of itllontreel, inthe Province of Quebec and lll oinii'lion cl Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful lmprove ments in Centering Devices for Ger-Coirplers, and do hereby declare that the follow, ing is a full, cleer, andexact description of same lttfy invention relates to improvements incentering devices for cor couplers and the main object of the inventionis to provide simple and inexpensive device which, Will' positively keepthe couplers of it our in line with the center thereof but which willyield sufficiently to the sway of the cars to prevent breakage.

it Further object is to provide it centering device which will bepractically trictioiiiless end Which will he ectiuited by the three olgravity.

The couplers at present in use Will not couple with the impact of thecers unless the couplers are approximately in line "u l each other. Toprevent the couplers gettiitig too for out of line, their oscillatorymovement is very much limited "with the result that on sharp curves :1great strain is thrown on the couplers end the Wheel flanges thrownagainst the rolls thus materially increasing the treetive resistance Wlhis invention eirns provide i'neeiiis tor returning the couplers intoline with the center ofthe our and for nieini'minin g the some inelihement under all ordii y circumstances. Thus the couplers may beallowed 2i greater oscillatory movement resulting in fewer breelmges andless trectire resistance.

To accomplish the above objects, 1 pro vide a smell carriage, locatedbeneath end supporting the coupler member, said ourringe being providedwith lugs engaging the sides of said member. lhe carriage travels on acurved track formed in a member which is bolted-or otherwise secured-tothe channels forming the center sill out the car. it hen the carriagerests on the lowermost portion of the curved track, the coupler memberguided thereby will be in line with the center of the oer to which it isattached.

'llhe contoitu. oi. the track Wil l mnintuin the carriage :in cl couplerat the lowest or control portion of the track, the carriage alwaysturning by gravity to its normal position.

.ln the drawings which illustrate my in vention :Figure 1 shows on thelelte :troirt elevation at the device and on the ht e sectional view onthe line 8 oi? Fi 2 is u plan View of the stirrup remember Flt 3 is etransverse section ol the mute on the line tl---9 ojt El. h" lis H, ohmView of the car. a Fig. 5 is an end ot the cnrriar v In the abovedelhietl figures, 10 des the channels which form the center the car andll. the coupler nizerober.

stirrup member 12?, which is shaped substete tially or shown in t 1cured between the lower thm chum nels 10 by means of belts or .s stirrup1m compr-ises tlrout, center irrticel, transverse plates 111i.spectirely, which are united by 'rerti Bil-l, loo gitudinal side plates17' integral therewith l 3, is

and terminating in flanges 1 through which the dtteching; bolts it?pass. The trout and center plates 1 leud 15, are united at the top by :1hormontatl plate 19 mtegrel therewith. The center end rear plates litand 16 are united ut the bottom by at double curved tree-l: plate 530,the curves oi? Whieh. ere portions of the arcs cl two lillllfilSEQhllM-Jcircles of equal diemeteru The member is strengthened e ribflij whichloceted lon ulinztlly in the center thereuit, Apertures 22 are formed inthe track: plete 20 end serve to lighten the member, reduce the triotionel contact between it end the other. parts of the device,.andprovide for the escape of cinders, Witt/Bl} etc;

A carriage is locoted between the coupler 11 and the tract: plate 20 endsupports the former. This carriage comprises e. hormoo tal table 23having front end reerJtrensverse, downwardly extending tlenges'td'tromwhich depend a. plurality 0t lugs through which the pins 26, carryingthe rollere 52? pass. llhe top oi? the table 23 is provided et itsextremities with curved, upwardly ere tending, plates etiltened by ribsadept-- ed to engage the eidee oil the coupler member minimize thebreakage of couplers in his 11, as seen in Fig. 1. The carriage is stregthened by a. central longitudinal rib 80. lthen assembled, the portsare in the reletion shown. in Fig. l, the iuge resting ruck. plate 20and supporting the rnber ll, normally in line with center. Then in thecenter, the it oi the coupler is largely removed from the carriage asthe coupler also rests 1 top plete 19 of the stirrup. 'll hen the swingor sway of the cars or the act oi uncoupling, moves the coupler out ofline, curries the carriage with it. ihe curhyreeson of the curved trackplate on IVJlCJ it travels, is compelled to rise and in its r'se raisesthe coupler with it. it is obvious at this rise is in direct oppositionto the force of gravity which Will therefo e produce a downward movementof the coupler and carriage. rnent, owing to the curvature of the truckplate, is accompanied by an inward movement, Wherefore the coupler isbrought into line with the center of the our end normolly maintainedthere, the Wheels or rollers or the carriage resting on the lowestl'fll'llOH oi the curved truck plate.

It will be obvious to those familiar with the art to which thisinvention relates, that the use of. the rollers traveling on s tracl:

oi: minimum \rea will result in o, practically cl? :1- ininizniun numberof simple pars, L liable to dzunuge which may be Stt'lfiLlfllt'llZQt.and rendered e1t=plhuble to all cars. 1t will further be seen tlmt thisdevice will greatly This downward move- E l l l l I tractive resistanceis diminished and the safety of the train increased.

Having thus described my invention What ing device for couplerscoinsine" e stirrup ineinber tired to the center the cur, a downwardlycurved track on said stirrup below the coupler, a carriage supportingthe coupler, rollers mounted on the carriage and supporting the someabove the track, and curved end plates on said carriage engaging hesides ofthe coupler, substentielly as d scriber- A device oi thecharacter described, comprising i stirrup having a top couplersupportiate, curved track plate sunk below said top plan, it carriage mounted onrollers superposed on said truck plate and adapted to center itself bygravity with respect to the longitudinal. axis of the car, and couplerengagingcnd plates on said carriage, substuntiull as described.

A device of the character described comprising the combination with acoupler, of stirrup having front plate, a top con pier supporting plate,a. truck plate below said top plate having plurality-of downwardlycurved portions with apertures therein, a carriage suherposed on saidtrack plate and ited to s'pport the coupler, LlCPQlHllZ nges on aidcarriage, rollers Ween sand nunges and traveling on the tr: on plate,and end plates for the carriage adopted to nielntainthe coupler reengagement.

7 ve T 1. 1055 uhereol i. have hereumo set my hand in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

ROBERT E. POWERS.

